Viewing category ‘Cooking’

As you may know by now, I’m all about easy, but fun recipes, and today is no exception. I saw it on Pinterest, and like many things there, it seemed a little to easy/good to be true, but I’m going to try to make 2 Ingredient pancakes.

Here’s what you need:

- A packet of instant oatmeal
- an egg

Directions:

1. Mix them together and let it sit for about 30 minutes
2. Spread it onto a hot, oiled pan
3. Cook one side at a time

That’s it.

So, how did mine turn out?

I got it all put together, and though I found out you don’t want the pan too hot, it did make a good pancake. My photo is sort of unfortunate, but it really was good and it’s reasonably low in calories, too!

Like the original post says, it’s not a typical fluffy, round pancake, but it’s really simple to do and you can use any flavor oatmeal you like. It’s also a great way to use up those oatmeal packets no one ever seems to get around to finishing!

I was cleaning out the refrigerator yesterday, and I noticed I had some biscuits and some sausage that had just about outlived their usefulness, and I didn’t want to waste them. I wasn’t sure what to do with them (other than just making sausage and biscuits), and then I remembered muffin tin cooking is all the rage, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but they actually turned out pretty well, so I thought I’d share.

Sausage, egg and cheese biscuit cups

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

3 tbsp half-and-half

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or what you have on hand, I used cheddar and jack)

1/2 lb. cooked sausage

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. mustard powder

1 can of whomp* biscuits, (I had Pillsbury Grands on hand, so I separated each biscuit into 2 layers because they’re big).

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray2. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk together3. Flatten each biscuit into a larger flat circle and place into a cup in the prepared muffin tin. Press the dough into the bottom of each cup and up the sides.4. Divide the sausage and cheese evenly into each cup5. Divide the egg mixture evenly between each cup and carefully pour over sausage and cheese, but not too full.

Bake 15-20 minutes until biscuits are brown and eggs are set.

I was thinking these would be a good, quick breakfast during the week, but as it turns out, people have been eating them all day around here, so I guess they’re good any time?

I’d like to try some more things in the the muffin tin, do you have any favorite recipes?

(* What? You know, whomp biscuits - you know, the ones you whomp on the counter to open…)

The Super Bowl is coming up, and I consider it the official end of Appetizer Season, so it makes me a little sad. I love appetizers and I’m always on the lookout for something new, or at least “new” to me.

I’m fortunate to be able to take a girl’s trip to the beach each January with my friends. Aside from the obvious benefit of getting to go on vacation, I always end up with a few new recipes.

We cook at least one of the night’s we’re there, and this year we ended up just having an appetizer spread. I particularly like it when I learn about an appetizer that’s really quick and easy because we know I’m all about the quick appetizer.

I may be the last one to know about this, but I am in love with Boursin cheese-stuffed mushrooms.

Boursin Cheese-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Large, fresh mushrooms (as many as you want to make)

6 oz. of boursin herb cheese spread (usually found in the refrigerated section with the fancy cheeses at the grocery)

Melted butter to brush on mushrooms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Wash and de-stem mushrooms, brush lightly with butter

3. Spoon the cheese into the mushroom caps

4. Bake on a baking sheet at 450 for 15 min.

If you’re feeling especially fancy, you can finely chop the mushroom stems and add them and some Parmesan cheese to the boursin cheese and top with bread crumbs and butter and bake until lightly browned.

That’s all there is to it!

What are you taking to the Super Bowl party? Tell us in the comments below.

The holidays can be a crazy time of year with shopping to be done, preparing for guests and getting kids ready for exams. We’ve been out late a lot during the week lately, and traveling on the weekends, so there’s not been a lot of time to fix dinner. Since it seems my family insists on eating every night, I figured I should try to do something about feeding them.

As a matter of fact, I even had most of these things in the pantry and fridge already, so this was easy.

When the weather gets cooler, I want to make soup. However, my problem is that I’ll get a vague idea of some soup I want, but I have no idea how to get there. (Hey, I’m more on the soup idea and consumption end rather than the pesky “make it” part in the middle…) Consequently, we’ve ended up with a few “almost” soups in the past, yet I keep trying.

The other day, we had some leftover Italian sausage, I decided I wanted to make soup with it, and I wanted something with cheese, too. I didn’t want to waste the sausage, so I looked up some recipes rather than performing my usual soup experimentation. I found bits and pieces of what I had in mind, and I ended up with this:

1. Cook sausage and onion in a skillet and drain.
2. Thaw the spinach and drain thoroughly.
3. Put the potatoes and carrots in bottom of crock pot. Then add the sausage, onion and spinach. 4. Pour the chicken broth over everything

5. Cook on low for 4-5 hrs.
6. At the end of the cooking, add the evaporated milk and cheese. Serve when the cheese is melted.

It was good! I think I’ll sautee the spinach first, next time as it seemed a little strong, but it wasn’t a show-stopper by any means.

I need some new ideas, what’s your favorite (fairly simple) soup to make? Tell us below in the comments.

This fall, my oldest child and only daughter will be heading to college. It will be a huge transition, fraught with excitement and emotion as you might imagine. Therefore, I’ve had a lot of things on my mind lately.

One of my biggest worries is that when she leaves no one will know where I am. With only guys left in the house with me, I could be missing for a few days, and eventually, someone would say, “Hey, I haven’t seen Mom in a while…”, and someone else would likely reply, “I dunno, she’s probably upstairs or something.”

Another fear I have is that I will find myself living in a frat house when she’s gone. However? I think that part may have already begun.

My middle child is a boy and I’m always working on cooking skills with him so that when he leaves for college in a couple of years, he’ll be able to, you know, eat. But, now it appears I should have been more specific about what to cook, since he’s 15.

The evidence: Deep Fried Swiss Cakes.

Ingredients
A box of whatever looks like it needs deep frying (Swiss Cakes and Oreos preferred, so I’m told)
Some Crisco
A box of pancake mix
Powdered sugar

Directions:

Chill whatever you’re going to fry in the fridge for a bit.

Mix the pancake mix as directed “until you have enough”, it should be pretty thick.
Melt the Crisco in a pan.
Using tongs, dip whatever you’re trying to fry in the pancake mix.

Then dip it in the hot Crisco (In all seriousness, this is only done with an adult around since it is hot grease).
Wait for it to turn golden brown.

Remove from oil to a paper towel-lined plate.

Sprinkle it with powdered sugar.

Eat it.

While I hope it’s obvious we don’t actually eat like that, it was pretty funny to watch him do it, and it actually tasted pretty good.

However, I think I’ll make sure he chooses a healthier alternative and bakes them next time.

I unabashedly admit I’m a huge fan of the much-maligned meatloaf. Actually, I’m a fan of the much-maligned singer, Meatloaf, too, but that’s a different post for a different time.

If meatloaf (the food, not the singer) is very traditional, and made “right”, I can’t get enough. I like it made with ground beef and a simple tomato sauce topping. The problem is I’m not all that good at making it. My actual meatloaf never quite matches the vision in my head. A “meatloaf letdown”, if you will.

I know it’s not that hard to make, but I just can’t seem to get it to come out the same way twice. Sometimes, it comes out in a loaf fashion you can actually slice, sometimes it comes out in “meatloaf crumbles”. I’ve tried it in a loaf pan, out of a loaf pan, in muffin tins and once in the crockpot (Do note the “once” part.).

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape meatloaf mixture into 10×6-inch loaf on rack of broiler pan.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until meatloaf is to medium doneness (160°F for beef, 170°F for turkey), until not pink in center and juices show no pink color. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Cover and refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 2 days, or wrap airtight and freeze up to 3 months.

I’m sure this is the way my mother and grandmother made it, too, but perhaps meatloaf skips a generation or something? All I want is to make a simple meatloaf that tastes good and that can be sliced so it looks like meatloaf, is that so much to ask?

I love this time of year! March Madness is underway with the seeding of the teams in the NCAA brackets, and it’s time to watch some basketball! (Sorry, I got carried away, no one will talk basketball with me around here, and I’m still so excited about Vanderbilt winning the SEC Championship!)

Anyway, when you have people over to watch the game, or just to enjoy the spring weather, you gotta eat. Well, I guess you don’t “have” to, but it’s much more fun when you feed people, since you don’t want to be “that house” that never has anything to eat.

I like the idea of feeding a group of people, but sometimes I lack ideas past burgers or chili. In an effort to expand my horizons a bit, I made these pork wraps a few weeks ago, and the whole family really liked them. They were easy to make, and they’re something you could make a bunch of, or put everything out for guests to make for themselves.

• In medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil.
• Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.
• Cook about 3-4 minutes per side until browned and internal temperature reaches 145 deg F.
• Place chops on a plate and let rest 5 minutes
• Cut chops into 1/4-in. slices.
• Microwave tortillas on high until slightly warm and softened, Place tortillas on workspace and top with pork, avocado, onion, chiles and salad greens stopping 2 inches short of one edge.
• Working one tortilla at a time, fold one side of tortilla up and over fillings.
• Tuck fillings in tightly, then fold in the 2-in. edge.
• Continue rolling tortilla toward the other side, securing with toothpick if necessary.
• Repeat with remaining tortillas and serve

My kids always like things in wraps, and these are just a little different from typical tacos. We’ll have them again, soon!

We got home late last night, the 9 year old hadn’t eaten, he still had to do homework, shower and get to bed since he’s been up way too late the past couple of nights. I had a couple of things in mind for dinner, and if I timed it just right, we could get everything done and get him to bed.

I flew into the driveway, gathered everything out of the car and rushed to the back door to find…I had no house key.

It had fallen off my key ring, and no one else was home.

We did get in eventually, but dinner plans were foiled. Going back out would have taken too much time, and we may or may not be way overdue to go to the grocery (I’ll never tell!), so I had to slap something together. Since everyone was coming from outdoor sports practices, I felt somewhat compelled to make something substantial-ish.

I’m so not the person that can effortlessly just throw something together for dinner, so when I don’t really have a plan, the results can be variable. However, last night’s “grab whatever I could find” worked out kind of well, so I thought I’d share.

Note: this isn’t a real recipe and your results may vary, this is what landed on my stove after ransacking the fridge and the pantry, so it’s not terribly scientific.

We love pork chops, but they’re one of those things that I don’t always think about, and then I exclaim, “Why don’t we have this more often?”

I recently made these pork chops, and they turned out great. As a matter of fact, someone said we should have them again sometime, so I’ve actually made them twice. That’s quite a feat for me because I have some sort of recipe amnesia and I don’t often remember things I’ve made if they are out of the usual rotation.

Stir together flour, salt and pepper and coat cutlets well. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter to sizzling and add cutlets. Saute until golden brown on one side; turn cutlets and add remaining ingredients to skillet. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, until pork is cooked through. Remove cutlets to a warm platter, boil and stir pan juices until thickened; serve cutlets with pan sauce.

Verdict: the whole family loved these. It’s a great take on a classic comfort food, and we’ll put these in the regular rotation.